Re: More powerful Tata Aria with 150PS & 320 Nm I have been driving my FIL's 2013 Aria (entry version) for 1K KM's, took it from Coimbatore to Ooty and Bangalore. Note, my reviews can be biassed based on my ownership of an Octavia mk1 vRS 1.8T Petrol and Swift 1.3L Petrol.
+Ve's - You are unique in the road, not a head turner but definitely a looker
1. Space, space, space - plenty of it in front 2 rows but the 3rd is best for kids due to narrow footwell. Easily can accomodate a family of 7~8. Decent boot even with 3rd seats up
2. High seating position gives good command of the road, but can be challenging for ingress/egress
3. Glass house, no body felt claustrophobic (my daughter who is usually car sick was okay)
4. Excellent ride quality (soaks up bumps and never moved out of line) - my family had no complains after a 350 KM highway ride
5. Decent road manners for a high CG SUV
6. Ample power and torque, pulls nicely and linearly (even in the hills/ghats)
7. Acceptable NVH inside the cabin
8. VFM price (my FIL got this for 10 lakhs + a 10 yr old carb Esteem in exchange)
9. Plenty of features (blower for 2nd row, lot of storage spaces many cup holders, good 1L bottle holders in each door, chilled glove box, etc.,)
10. Confusing looks, doesnt show butch attitude but it grows on you
11. Decent economy consistently returned 12 KMPL on a couple of tankful to tankful method in a mix of city, highway and hills
12. Safety has discs on all 4 even in the basic model
13. AC is a chiller even in the sweltering heat!
14. Stylish Land Rover-ish dashboard layout is sweeet!
-Ve's - The uniqueness will also mean support can be limited
1. What is it (Car, SUV or MUV)? I couldn't answer when the forest guard in Avalanche asked me :-( A gas station attendant asked me if the car was very powerful looking at the dual exhausts and I blushingly nodded YES ;-)
2. Hard clutch (worst than my Octavia) and vague gear shift (vibrates) - Note, this is the basic model that comes with a SMF (Single Mass Flywheel) - I'd strongly recommend a DMF (Dual MF) for that extra smoothness
3. Steering is okay to hold, but a little bigger in dia, however EPS is very light at express way speeds and not confidence inspiring
4. Seating ergo not upto the mark (I couldn't get a good seating position even after 1K KM's, but it doesnt break your back - the 2nd row is too upright)
5. Poor switch gear quality (the AC control units looked like it was lifted from the Ponds powder tin), not sure it would last (@ GTO, i doubt TATA paid Rs. 5 for the Aux rubber boot - perhaps they got it free)
6. Narrow power band requires a lot of gear shifting (read painful)
7. Perhaps christined by someone from Andhra (pun intended) - this car is called the TATA Aria Pride 4x2 2.2L DICOR blah blah blah endless
8. No dead pedal for the driver (but wont feel the need because the left leg has to be in constant use)
9. Fairly well put together for a TATA but still leagues behind Toyota or even a Mahindra XUV
10. Suspect long term reliability (low volumes would mean limited support) - my FIL is a TATA loyal, he has owned a bunch of TATA vehicles in this century and each one has crossed 1L KM's easily (he now owns a Mahindra Bolero pick up and is very happy - so may change his loyalty in the future)
To summarize, the +ve's easily outweigh the -Ve's. I came back fairly impressed and this comes from someone who owns an Octavia mk1 vRS 1.8T and Swift 1.3, both petrols. I'd recommend this (Car, SUV, MUV or whatever) for a large family looking for value and taking it from point A to B. Preferably driver driven. Get the DMF version if you care for your driver though! |